Sandal



April 1936. c. e. WERNMARK 51 A, SANDAL Filed July 25, 1932 INVENTOR. 6024. d WEE/#14 ATTORNEY j Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATEN ores 2,038,151 SAN'DAL Carl G. Wernmark, Los Angeles, Calif. Application July 23, 1932, Serial No. 624,304 1 Claim. (Cl. 36-115) This invention relates to footwear and particularly pertains to sandal construction.

At the present time the trend of fashion in footwear is toward sport model slippers and 5 pumps, particularly various designs of sandals. Itis the object of the prevent invention, therefore, to provide a sandal construction which embodies all of the elements of comfort and style and at the same time may be inexpensive as to material 10 and labor costs while being durable.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a unitary heel and arch member made rigid, and to which a flexible sole member is secured. The structure further embodying the use 15 of sandal straps arranged in a novel manner and by which the freedom of the foot is afforded, while the various parts of the foot are firmly held in a manner to give the same security as though an upper were carried by the sole structure.

20 Theinvention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing the sandal with which the present invention is concerned, and the sandal strap, both disclosed in 5 solid lines, while the foot of a wearer is indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing the complete sandal with the sandal straps broken away for the sake of convenience.

30 Fig. 3 is a top view in plan showing the. sandal 'and the manner in which it is assembled prior to the application of a cover strip.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view in plan showing the sandal in one manner in which the two parts 35 thereof may be assembled;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary viewin transverse section through the edge of the sole of the sandal indicating the formation of a false welt strip and the manner in which it is assembled 40 with a sole and a sole cover. 1

Fig. 6 is a view in transverse section through the arch portion of the sandal as seen on the 'line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a view in section taken longitudinall 45 of the sole and arch showing the relation of these parts at their point of fastening, certain of the parts not being shown.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l indicates the sole unit of a sandal and H indi- 50 cates the heel unit of a sandal of my present invention. The heel 'unit possesses special novelty in that the arch and heel are formed integral and are preferably shaped from hard wood. The

heel may be a French heel, indicated at I 2, orv

55 any other type of high or low heel which fashion may dictate. The arch I3 may be appropriately shaped to conform to the arch of. the foot of the wearer, and in a manner to agree with the type of heel which is used. It is well known that considerable objection is occasioned due to the fact that the heel and arch portions of ladies high heeled shoes are not rigidly held in their relation to each other, making it possible for the heel to spring rearwardly as the weight of the foot is applied to the shoe, which creates an air of un- 10 certainty in walking, while objectionably wearing the shoe heel and decreasing the support which should of necessity be afiorded to the instep of the foot. By forming the heel l2 and the arch l3 of a single piece of rigid material such as hard-wood, this objection is eliminated and considerable strength is added to the shoe construction.

As indicated in the drawing, the upper face Id of the heel portion is properly molded inconcaved shape to receive and center the ball of the heel of the foot. The instep portion I3 is also designed to conform to the side lines of the contour of the foot, and is transversely concaved to accommodate the curve of the arch of the foot and to laterally support it. The foreward end of the arch member l3 terminates in a flat face l5 which is in a plane parallel to the plane of the lower face l6 of the heel of the sandal, This terminating portion of the arch'member l3 has a diagonal edge I! which generally conforms to the angle of the metatarsal arch and insures that the rigid arch member l3 will snugly fit beneath the fleshy portion of the arch of the foot, and brace it in its entirety. I Secured to the face l5 and extending in a plane parallel thereto is the sole III. This sole is preferably made of flexible material such for example as leather, although rubber or synthetic products might be used. The sole I0 is secured to the arch member iii in any desired manner, such for example .as nailing, riveting or stitching. As indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, staples l8 are shown as passing upwardly through the sole and the tapered end of the arch support, the staples being riveted over at their points so that they will not become displaced.

The sole may be of any contour to agree with the shape of the foot of the wearer, both as to length and last. In order to more securely support the ball of the foot and provide added comfort a false welt strip 19 is positioned upon the upper face of the sole I0, andalong the edge thereof. This welt strip is formed of a piece of leather or other material folded upon itself to give a turned edge to the outer edge of the strip and to build 66 up a surface around the margin of the sole of the sandal. A cover strip 20 is positioned over the welt strip 19, and the body of the sole as particularly indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

It will thus be seen that when these various sole elementsare cemented together there will be a concavity on the face of the sole which will satisfactorily conform to the contour of the ball of the foot and properly position the foot with relation thereto at all times.

In order to properly secure the sandal in position, sandal straps are provided as indicated at 2| and 22. These straps are secured between the upper face of the sole and the welt strip l9. In applying this sandal the straps are crossed over the top of the foot and then brought around under the instep of the foot and up over the arch. The strap 2| terminates at this point, but the strap 22 is continued around the side of the ankle to the rear of the heel at a height agreeing with the top of the usual counter then downwardly and forwardly along the side of the heel and then under the arch of the sandal directly in front of the breast of the heel. The strap 22 is then continued rearwardly and upwardly at the opposite side of the heel, around the back of the heel crossing itself at the height of the usual counter and continuing along the ankle to the point wherethe strap 2! terminates. The strap 22 terminates with a buckle 23 at this point. The end of the strap 2| engages the buckle 23 at this point.

The strap arrangement may be designated in a further manner by indicating that portions a and 1) pass over the toes of the foot and that thereafter portions fc" and d which cross will now pass downwardly around the opposite sides of the instep, crossing beneath the instep in portions e and "f". It is advisable that care be taken to insure that the crossing portions "e and I shall fit snugly-at the rear of the ball of the foot, and at the forward end of the instep. This will tend to insure that the sole will be firmly held. The strap 22 then forms a twisted portion continuing in a substantially horizontal portion 9', a downwardly extend-' ing heel portion 1, a lower transverse portion and an upwardly extending heel portion 72. and terminating in a substantially horizontal portion a complementary to the ankle portion i". By this arrangement the entire length of the sole will be firmly held against the bottom of the foot while permitting freedom of movement of the foot at its joints, and while insuring that the strap will not become loosened or the sandal in anywise' displaced.

In'the manufacture of this sandal the sole portion I 0 may be cut in any suitable manner, such for example as by the use of a templet, after which the edges of the sole may be dyed and burnished. The heel units Il may be made up from hard wood, or any other suitable material having lightness of weight and strength. The portions of the heel units which are to be exposed are then covered with a thin covering of leather,

indicated at 24 in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The sole member Ill and the heel structure II are then assembled by the use of fastening means such as staples 18, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing. Either prior to or after this assembly, the sole welt strip l9 may be cemented into position,

after which the covering 20 may be placed over the entire upper surface of the sole l0 and the arch and heel structure I I, and cemented into place.

Due to the fact that the edges of the leather covering member 24 are folded up over the face of the arch portion l3, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, it will thus aid in forming a transverse concave surface along the arch. It is desirable to provide a false welt strip 25 which is placed around the margin of the heel as indicated in Fig. 2. By the arrangement of the welts I9 and 25 and the edge of the covering 24 the marginal edges of the cover 20 will be supported above the surface of the sole l0 and the arch and heel structure, so that there will be a concavity into which the foot may readily fit and by reason of which there will be little possibility that the sandal will shift with relation to the foot after it has been secured into position by the sandal straps 2| and 22. The manner in which these straps are secured has been previously described, and will not be repeated.

It will thus be seen that by the arrangement here disclosed an inexpensive and durable sandal can be made, which structure may embody all of the lines of shoes of various styles and will retain its shape irrespectiveof wear.

It will be evident that a sandal of the type here shown will conform to the foot of a wearer in a comfortable manner and will remain in its applied position.

It is to be further understood that while this structure is shown as embodied in a sandal that it would be readily possible to use all of the features save the sandal straps in the manufacture of slippers and shoes.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes may be made in combination, construction, and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

A sandal of the type described comprising a heel, an arch member formed integral therewith, said heel and arch being inherently rigid throughout, the arch being curved downwardly and forwardly, the forward end of the arch portion terminating at a point directly in the rear of the ball of the foot of the wearer and the underface of the arch terminating in a flat portion aligned within a plane parallel to the plane of the underface of the heel and above said plane a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a woman's ordinary shoe sole, the arch having a transversely concave upper surface to receive the'arch of the foot of the wearer, and a flexible sole, the rearv portion of which has a flat lower face lying in the plane of the underface of the heel of the sandal and being of a thickness and material to support the said flat portion of the arch in its parallel plane under the weight of the wearer, means for securing the rear portion of the sole to the flat terminating face of the arch whereby the forward portion of the sole may extend flexibly therefrom, and means for securing the structure thus formed upon the foot of the wearer.

CARL G. WERNMARK. 

